Research and development expenditure
Research and development expenditure (percentage of GDP)
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| Title | Research and development expenditure |
| Unit of measure | Percentage of GDP |
| Source data | World Bank |
| Original data source | UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) Bulk Data Download Service: https://uis.unesco.org/bdds |
| Statistical concepts and definition | Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, government, higher education, and private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. |
| Relevance | Expenditure on research and development (R&D) is a key indicator of government and private sector efforts to obtain a competitive advantage in science and technology. |
| Time coverage | Annual |
| Sector coverage | Governance |
| Data compilation | The gross domestic expenditure on R&D indicator consists of the total expenditure (current and capital) on R&D by all resident companies, research institutes, universities, government laboratories, etc. It excludes R&D expenditures financed by domestic firms but performed abroad. The OECD's Frascati Manual defines research and experimental development as "creative work undertaken on a systemic basis to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications." R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. Basic research is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view. Applied research is also an original investigation undertaken to acquire new knowledge; it is, however, directed primarily towards a specific practical aim or objective. Experimental development is systematic work, drawing on existing knowledge gained from research and/or practical experience, which is directed to producing new materials, products, or devices, installing new processes, systems, and services, or improving substantially those already produced or installed. The fields of science and technology used to classify R&D according to the Revised Fields of Science and Technology Classification are: 1) natural sciences, 2) engineering and technology, 3) medical and health sciences, 4) agricultural sciences) 5) social sciences, 6) humanities and the arts. The data are obtained through statistical surveys which are regularly conducted at the national level covering R&D performing entities in the private and public sectors. |
| Relationship* | -1 |
* This field expresses the impact on vulnerability. The minus sign indicates that it has a vulnerability-decreasing impact (positive impact on resilience), and the plus sign indicates a vulnerability-increasing impact.